Lille Cathedral

Lille, France

The construction of the Lille Cathedral began in 1854. The church takes its name from a 12th-century statue of the Virgin Mary. It was built to the Neo-Gothic 13th century style. The initial project was massive: 132 metres long, with spires reaching up to over 115 metres. However, wars and financial difficulties soon put an end to these plans. With the creation of the bishopric of Lille in 1913, the basilica became a cathedral, but the project, although reduced to more modest proportions, began to drag on and the cathedral remained unfinished.

It was not until the 1990s that public funding allowed for the completion of the main facade, which was inaugurated in 1999. Designed by the Lille architect Pierre-Louis Carlier, it is the product of great technical prowess and was made possible by the collaboration of Peter Rice (engineer for the Sydney Opera House and the Pompidou Centre in Paris). The central section is composed of a 30 metres high ogive covered with 110 sheets of white marble 28 millimetres thick, and supported by a metal structure. From the inside, this translucent veil reveals a surprising orange-pink colour.At the top, the glass rose window based on the theme of the Resurrection is the work of the painter Ladislas Kijno. The iron doorway is by the Jewish sculptor Georges Jeanclos.

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Address

Place Gilleson, Lille, France
See all sites in Lille

Details

Founded: 1854
Category: Religious sites in France

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ariya Bajar (4 months ago)
The rich history behind the cathedral is reflected in the architectural beauty of the ceiling and elegant stained glass windows that stretched from the ceiling from the floor, a breathtaking view.
Shantanu Singha (8 months ago)
Very beautiful modern church, with rich history and heritage. There are so many historical and architectural details in the church that it might take you a while to go through each of them. It’s a free to enter church. There are cafes outside so you can have a drink and imbibe yourself in the amazing view of the church.
Andy Reynolds (8 months ago)
An interesting cathedral in the heart of Lille. The west facade is very unusual. It was completed after the Second World War and is completely different to the rest of the building which is much more traditional. There was a lot of modern art responding to the church when we visited which was quite interesting.
Joao David (9 months ago)
Beautiful cathedral to visit with a rich history. I was lucky enough to see a live orchestra inside the cathedral, which made the visit much better. The stained glass windows were beautiful to look at. All the statues had information about them, which were interesting as same as the artwork. There is a small chapel area inside for you to make a prayer with free candles, too.
nick needham (10 months ago)
The building is well worth seeing. It's slightly hidden and very much modern gothic. It has art everywhere and could easily feature in a horror film. It tries to educate and add art and education to religion. You might not be inspired to become Catholic but you will be interested. Perhaps scared. Perhaps annoyed. Good recommended bar immediately outside.
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